FORT SMITH (AP) — Homeless people living on a railroad-owned piece of land near the Arkansas River in Fort Smith have about a week to clear out.

Micheal Bowers, 48, of Oklahoma City, said having to move by May 15 has put him in a bind. Bowers has lived for two years at the sprawling camp, which is filled with tarp-covered makeshift dwellings.

“They gave me a week to move,” Bowers told the Southwest Times Record (http://is.gd/AG14Kz ) on Wednesday.

“I don’t see what the big deal is, why we should have to move,” Bowers said, speaking from a cramped trail surrounded by woods. “We’re quite a ways from anybody. We’re not hurting anybody.”

Kansas City Southern Railway sent agent Paul Tappana with a police escort to spread the word among the homeless that they would have to go. A spokeswoman for the railroad, C. Doniele Carlson said the company will “follow up to make sure that happens and will post appropriate signage.”

Carlson said the railroad took steps to clear the property, littered with trash and debris, after a complaint by a local resident.

Fort Smith police Sgt. Doug Brooks said eight or nine people were at the camp when Tappana delivered the word. Brooks said notice of the closing was also spread at local homeless shelters.

“There are probably 10 or 12 people now,” Bowers said. “There used to be like 20 people, but some got places. We’ve known for a couple of weeks something was going to happen.”

Next Step Day Room executive director Amy Sherrill said she’s gotten more requests for assistance.

“We’ve had a steady stream of folks we haven’t seen in some time,” she said. “There’s been a lot of commotion and confusion the last couple of weeks.”

Area homeless advocates estimate that the camp is at least 15 years old.

Fort Smith resident and apartment owner Leo Peacock said he walks a city-owned trail every day near the homeless camp.

“They’re riddled through here,” he said. “They’ve been here forever.”

He said the 2.5-mile Rice Carden Walking Trail would get more use if the camp is closed.

“You have all this wildlife and beautiful backwoods, and no one will use this trail. They are afraid of the homeless,” he said.